Author Note: I just want to thank you all so much for the support you've shown thus far! And here is the next installment. I hope you enjoy it even though it's a little on the short side!
And let's just say, Xander's curse strikes again!
No one even hinted at Willow Rosenberg's Potions announcement until the following day when the Gryffindors, once again paired with the Slytherins, walked to Care of Magical Creatures.
"Isn't that one eyed bloke supposed to be helping out with this class?" Ron asked as they walked through the grounds. "What kind of surprise do you suppose he has up his sleeve?"
"He can probably time travel without a Time Turner or something," Harry muttered, clearly still smarting over the fact that resurrection magic really did exist.
When they neared Hagrid's hut they heard a garbled cry so Harry, Ron, and Hermione picked up the pace. The trio froze when they saw what awaited them.
A sphinx (Harry could only assume it was the same one from the Tri-wizard Tournament) paced in a paddock that she could clearly very easily escape from. She was pacing her enclosure, following wherever the one eyed Californian man walked. Hagrid stood off to the side chuckling.
"She won't hurt ya!" the large man chortled.
"That's not what I'm worried about," the other guy shouted back, freezing when he saw the class approaching. He stayed in the same spot until the last students (Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle) arrived and then Hagrid motioned for him to join him right in front of the paddock gate.
"Good mornin' class! Today you'll be learnin' and interactin' with Tari who, as you can see, is a sphinx. We'll also be helped out by Xander Harris from the States," Hagrid announced.
The sphinx stopped right behind where Xander was standing, placing her front paws on the fencing. "My full name is Nefertari," she whispered to him only her voice was so deep and rumbly that everyone heard.
"Thank you for sharing that with me Nefertari but this is a class. I'm pretty sure Hagrid wants you to talk to the students, not me," Xander admonished.
Hagrid didn't seem to notice that both his assistant and the sphinx were preoccupied and he continued to try and teach his lesson. "She is definitely a fearsome creature and could easily tear yer eyes out but she ain't likely to attack any of you today. Can anyone tell me why?"
Hermione's hand shot into the air even though she, like everyone except Hagrid, had their eyes on the sphinx. "Sphinxes enjoy guarding valuables and are often hired by witches and wizards to do so. They will attack if that treasure is being threatened. Since there's no treasure she likely won't attack right now. Oh, and an additional fun fact is that sphinxes are very good at making riddles. That's how they guard treasure. By setting up riddles people have to solve."
Hagrid nodded and turned to Nefertari. He quirked a bushy brow when he saw her whispering in Xander's ear but he didn't mention it. "Tari, give us a riddle please."
The sphinx sat back on her haunches and licked her lips. "What has four legs like a lion but can still make love to a human man?"
The members of the class either gasped or snorted in amusement depending upon their sensibilities. Xander shrieked and fell down in his haste to get away from the paddock. Nefertari had eyes for no one but him and launched herself out of her enclosure to get to the man.
"The answer to my riddle was me, of course," she purred as she rubbed her furry face against Xander's neck and shoulders.
Hagrid looked at the scene with shook for several long minutes before he rushed over to the pair.
"Now Tari, just because you want ter mate with a man it doesn't mean he wants ter mate with you."
Nefertari growled at the half-giant and Hagrid snarled right back. "Class dismissed!" he called over his shoulder.
Everyone but Hermione, Harry, and Ron rushed away.
"Should we try and help?" Hermione asked as the sphinx circled Xander, keeping him close as she eyed Hagrid with sudden distaste.
"Do you know a good sphinx repelling spell?" Ron teased. "Or were you just going to call her a bad kitty?"
Hermione bit her lip and shook her head, unable to say what she'd really been thinking. Saying that you planned to pull away a creature ten times your body weight didn't make sense when your friends didn't know you had super strength.
"Let's just head back to the castle," Harry sighed. "It's almost time for brunch anyways. I'm sure Hagrid can handle this."
The trio turned to leave and were nearly halfway back to the castle when Xander went racing by, his clothes in tatters. "Why does this always happen to me?" he screeched.
Ron's eyebrows shot up. "We have got some awfully strange professors this year."
Harry and Hermione just nodded.